The Cheshire Fall Festival and Marketplace will kick off Friday evening with music and food for the entire family. Then, the main event is set for Saturday, with a full slate of entertainment, food trucks, vendors, and crafters.
What do you need to know for the event? The Cheshire Herald caught up with Cheshire Chamber of Commerce Director Yetta Augur for the details.
Has the Festival moved locations?The Festival will be moving this year, but back to a familiar spot. With work being done on the Bartlem South Project, the event will be moved from the south to the north side of Bartlem Park, where it had been held for years prior to 2020.
“It’s important to let people know that it’s on the other side,” said Augur. “It’s really the old field where we used to have the Fall Festival, but the South section is closed for construction of the Great Lawn.”
“We can’t wait for the Great Lawn to be finished,” Augur continued. “That’s where the Fall Festival will be in the future. But we still wanted to continue the tradition of having the Festival so we’re bringing it back to the old spot.”
Is parking expected to be an issue?The short answer is yes. According to Augur, attendees should be prepared for limited spaces available.
“Parking will be very limited at Bartlem,” said Augur. “We’re asking people to be patient because it will be more difficult than in years past. Carpool if you can. Ride a bike to the Festival if you can.”
Augur did mention however that there will be “plenty of parking available across the street at Cheshire High School, and there will be handicapped parking available at the Yellow House.”
Will there be the same number of vendors as there have been in years past?According to Augur, interest in attending the Festival remained high this year and there will be a large number of businesses and groups on hand with which attendees can visit.
“We just sold out, so yes,” said Augur. “We have around 90 businesses participating this year. It’s really important for the business community and the community in general to continue with the Fall Festival.”
How about activities for the kids?The Kiwanis Club Carnival had been a staple of the Festival but has not been held the last few years. According to Augur, the Carnival will not return for the 2023 event, but the Kiwanis Club will be providing special kid-friendly entertainment.
“(Kiwanis) will be having inflatables like they did last year, but there’s no carnival…” Augur confirmed. “It’s a fun family day with the inflatables and some different vendors will be doing fun things for children all day Saturday.”
“Music, food, family fun, getting to meet neighbors, and enjoy hopefully a beautiful Cheshire weekend. What’s not to like?” she added. “It’s good for the business community and it’s good for the community in general. It’s something we all look forward to doing.”